Transdermal permeation of trimetazidine from nerodilol-based HPMC gel drug reservoir system across rat epidermis

To study the in vitro transdermal permeation of trimetazidine from hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose [HPMC] gel drug reservoir system using nerodilol as a penetration enhancer. An HPMC gel containing selected concentrations of nerodilol [0, 2, 4 or 5% w/v] and 2.5% w/v of trimetazidine was prepared, and subjected to in vitro permeation studies across rat epidermis. The amount of trimetazidine permeated at different time intervals [1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 and 24 h] was estimated, and the data were analyzed to calculate various permeation parameters. There was an increase in the amount of trimetazidine [8,719.7 +/- 153.3 micro g/cm[2]] permeated across the rat epidermis up to 24 h [Q[24]] with an increase in nerodilol concentration [5% w/v] in HPMC gel drug reservoir. However, no significant difference [p > 0.05] was observed in the amount of drug permeated [Q[24]] with 5% w/v of nerodilol when compared to that obtained with 4% w/v of nerodilol [8,484.5 +/- 165.8 micro g/ cm[2]]. Nerodilol, at a concentration of 4% w/v enhanced the flux of trimetazidine across rat epidermis by about 1.96 times when compared to control. The HPMC gel drug reservoir containing 4% w/v of nerodilol showed optimal transdermal permeation of trimetazidine

In vitro antifungal and antibacterial activity of Australian tea tree oil on clinical isolates

We tested the Australian tea tree oil [Oil of Melaleuca] for its antimicrobial activity on standard and clinical isolates of bacteria and fungi using a serial agar dilution method. The fourteen standard bacterial and fungal isolates were inhibited in an oil concentration range of 1-8 mg/ml except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was resistant to more than 128 mg/ml. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the oil against 66 clinical bacterial isolates representing 14 bacterial species showed that the 27 Gram positive bacteria were more sensitive to the oil with average MIC values of 1.2 to 12 mg/ml. Gram negative bacteria [39 isolates] were less sensitive than Gram positive bacteria since 21 isolates were resistant to more than 10 mg/ml. The MIC values of the oil against 75 clinical fungal isolates representing 8 different filamentous fungi and yeasts showed that the fungi were more sensitive than Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The oil has bactericidal and fungicidal activity but its clinical usefulness needs further evaluation